October Art Week 2017

We will be participating in the October Art Week 2017 during TEFAF NY. More details to be announced.

Giovanni da Rimini

Focus Exhibition at the National Gallery, London

A year ago the Duke of Northumberland sold, at Sotheby’s in London, a remarkable panel painted in about 1300 by an exceptionally rare artist, Giovanni da Rimini. The panel was acquired at the auction by the American collector and founder of New York’s Neue Galerie, Ronald Lauder. He has generously donated this panel to the National Gallery in London and, to celebrate that, the National Gallery has assembled a dazzling little exhibition which reunites the ex-Northumberland panel with its companion piece, as well as showing alongside them other works that speak to the old Byzantine and new Giottesque currents which would have influenced the artist in 1300.

DEALERS SHOW THEIR METTLE DURING OLD MASTER SALES WEEK

London Art Week, July 2017

In addition to the auctions of Old Master paintings and drawings at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Bonham’s, there was plenty of activity in London from the trade this July. Agnew's celebrated its 200th birthday at Spencer House, Colnaghi gave two lively parties, the Masterpiece fair drew crowds to the Chelsea Royal Hospital, and over 30 dealers participated in a series of exhibitions during London Art Week. These exhibitions, mounted by many of Europe's foremost galleries, give dealers an opportunity to show how they represent an interesting alternative to buying at auction. Galleries exercise taste, expertise, and patience, and at any one of these shows it was possible to find things of real merit at all price points.

Raphael: The Drawings at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford

JULY OLD MASTER SALES MEET HIGH HOPES IN LONDON

Old Masters Sales in London

Sotheby’s and Christie’s assembled extremely respectable Old Masters sales this summer. The good news was the impressive sell-through rates at both houses, even for material that had not just come out of some ancestral home. Also, despite talk about the shortage of supply, there were plenty of very good Old Masters of most schools on offer this year. It was reassuring that both top lots found buyers, reinforcing the well-worn adage that we live in a ‘Masterpiece Market’.

OLD MASTERS THRIVE IN CLASSIC WEEK

Christie's April Old Masters Sale in New York

For what it is worth, Christie's Old Master Paintings Department took market share in New York following a successful sale this April. The centerpiece of Classic Week, the sale exceeded expectations largely on account of the impressive price achieved for a single painting, the success of the other offerings from the collection of which that formed part, and competitive bidding for a rare Netherlandish panel recently plucked off the walls of the Met.

A FUTURE FOR MAASTRICHT?

The Art World Convenes at Maastricht as Storm Clouds Loom

After a succession of recent TEFAF fairs at Maastricht had left visitors and exhibitors underwhelmed there were concerns that this legendary event had lost its luster. However, despite modest expectations there were many collectors and dealers who judged it a success.